Most people break up their work week with a Wednesday night Netflix binge. Our colleague Jemma decided to break hers up by packing a tent, a full-sized camp chair, and her work laptop onto a Tern Orox Cargo eBike and riding into the woods.
Jemma recently joined the crew at Off Course Bike Shop and Cycling Wild for their brilliant mid-week overnighter. The concept is genius: roll out of work on a Wednesday, ride 30km along the Yarra River to a campsite, enjoy a swim and a campfire, and then enjoy a scenic commute straight to work the next morning.
Traditional bikepacking usually involves a lot of suffering. You agonise over every single gram of weight, cut your toothbrush in half, sleep on a camping pad the thickness of a tortilla, and you certainly don’t bring your office gear. But when you are riding the Tern Orox—the absolute beast of our adventure eBike lineup—you can completely ignore the rules.
What if you brought a real pillow, a full-sized camp chair, and enough drinks and treats to make you the most popular person around the campfire?
We sat down with Jemma to get the inside scoop on how this heavy-hauling, dirt-loving machine handled the mid-week distance, the off-road terrain, and a seriously luxurious payload.
The Payload
What were you able to fit because the Orox has the capacity?
This was the first time I’ve taken a full-size camp chair and a pillow on a bikepacking trip! I was also able to carry some extra drinks and treats to share with everyone, plus all my work stuff for the next day.
The Terrain
How did the bike handle?
The official route was a mixture of bike paths and gravel, but the Orox let me take some spicy off-road detours on rough singletrack along the way, and it handled it all without any issues.
The Tech
How did the battery go? Did it last the distance or did you need to charge up?
I had 2 batteries, a 725Wh and a 545Wh, and I left the shop with just under 90% charge. All up, I rode 88km with 650m of climbing across a mix of Tour+, Auto, and eMTB+ modes, and made it back to the shop with 13% charge left! The Bosch Flow app was really helpful for having a very clear idea of what range I had left and what I should reach my destination with. I was also really impressed by the Orox’s front light; it lit up dirt roads fantastically before the sun came up in the morning.
The “Orox Moment”
One thing this bike did that a regular bike couldn’t:
The Orox really impressed me with its ability to handle all the rough terrain that a cross-country mountain bike could, but while having all the carrying capacity of a Tern GSD. Rolling along singletrack with a camp chair happily strapped to the back was a pretty unique experience.
The Verdict
Final thoughts—is this your new dream ride or will you be happy to go back to your GSD?
I think for me, the Orox is the perfect mix of adventure and practicality. It’ll still handle all my day-to-day needs, but is always ready to venture off the beaten track. I loved my GSD, but the Orox puts a grin on my face every time.
Ready to see what the Orox can do for your weekends (or your Wednesdays)? Book a test ride and come see this beast for yourself.
